


Part Of Your World

by Zurenika



Series: Sepgu Fairytales [2]
Category: SF9 (Band)
Genre: Little Mermaid-ish story, M/M, merman Inseong / Human Dawon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-01-25 18:09:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18579823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zurenika/pseuds/Zurenika
Summary: A retelling of The Little Mermaid starring SF9





	1. Chapter 1

For years, Inseong had always been fascinated by the stories his brothers and sisters tell him whenever they swim past the barrier. And although he knew that most of the time they exaggerate some facts, that didn’t really stop him from hanging onto their every word.

And now, finally, it will be his chance to see firsthand the dry lands that he had dreamt of since he was little. His siblings had told him to be careful, to stay close to the guards as it is his first time and Inseong absently nodded along.

“Are you ready, prince?” one of the guards asked him.

He nodded.

His siblings always told him that passing through the barrier was painful, like getting stung in the tail by an angry jellyfish but it isn’t- not really.

The barrier was made up of a thick, black substance that surrounds the edges of the kingdom. Swimming past it would require a lot of strength that's why mermaids whose tails have fully developed were the only ones allowed to cross it.

Inseong had always thought that that was a lie but he was proven wrong. It took every ounce of strength for him to swim past it.

After what felt like a lifetime of struggle, he was finally through.

The first thing he noticed was how bright everything was. Then came the weird sensations – the water felt slimy and his skin started to itch in places. There was also a weird taste in the water – something bitter and salty and something else that Inseong couldn't describe.

The second thing he noticed was how few the fishes around him were and most of them looked at him warily, swimming away if he got to close.

“What’s wrong with them?” he asked the guards.

“Things aren’t as good up here, prince,” they told him. “Everyone’s in constant danger and they tend to keep to themselves for safety,”

Inseong looked at him worriedly but was distracted by an unusual vibration in the water. All of the fishes hid in nearby corals and Inseong was pulled to the side by one of his guards. Something huge suddenly appeared overhead, cutting through the water quickly.

“It’s called a yacht, prince,” his companion said.

He looked up at it, amazed. The thing passing right above their heads looked like a clamshell but it was moving a lot faster and there was this rotating thing behind it that was causing the disturbance. Inseong was about to approach it when one of the guards pulled him back.

“It’s dangerous, your highness. That thing can kill you,” they said.

Inseong shrugged them off but avoided it nonetheless.

“Are there humans inside that?” he asked.

The guards exchanged looks then nodded.

“Oh good. I want to see one,”

One of the guards swam towards him and led him to a huge rock which extends upwards out of the water.

“We can’t be seen, prince. You have to hide if you want to see them,” he warned.

It was the first time Inseong broke the surface of the water and he was expecting it to be amazing. Unfortunately, there this weird thing around that made his skin feel brittle and so he dipped his head again.

“It’s called air, your highness. Humans need it the same way we need water,”

“But, how can they stand it? It’s-it’s uncomfortable,” he whined.

The guard remained quiet and urged him upwards once more.

There were several humans on the boat, two girls and three guys. They were moving – dancing perhaps to some sort of wailing sound. He didn’t like it at first but the more he listened, the more the melody got stuck in his head.

Inseong didn't realize how long he had been watching the humans until the guard tapped him on the shoulder.

“It’s time to go back, your highness,” one of the guards said.

Inseong didn’t want to but the world around them was getting dark. He nodded and they started the swim back to the kingdom.

For the next days, he managed to sneak past the guards and cross the barrier and spend time watching the dry lands.

He also made a friend – a wind sprite who had taken a fascination with the human world and tells him stories of all his observations.

There was one night when he was just wandering around playing with the dolphins when he heard the music.

He followed the sound and saw another ship, bigger and so much shinier than the first one he saw. This one has a colour similar to that of a pearl and it shines like one too.

And there were people on it, dancing and eating and drinking and he was just really having fun watching them when he saw him - the most beautiful human he had ever laid eyes on.

The guy broke away from the crowd and approached the edge of the ship, a melancholic expression on his face. Inseong swam closer, careful so as not to get noticed but the guy clearly had something on his mind.

Inseong was so transfixed that he didn't notice the dark clouds rolling in behind him.

A clap of lightning and thunder pulled him back to reality.

The waves were starting to get stronger and the wind was starting to pick up. Rain suddenly poured in torrents.

A strong wave slammed against the ship and Inseong saw the human fall into the water.

He moved quickly, swimming with all his strength to get to the guy. Inseong dived into the water and searched for him. He spotted him just a few meters down - a speck of white amidst the dark waters. A jolt of fear ran through him and he swam as fast as he could. 

With a final burst, he managed to grab hold of the guy's hand and pulled him up close.

And then, he felt the world slow down.

The harsh waves and the winds turned into a quiet hum and can feel every second stretching. The human's eyes were closed but even in that state, his beauty was something to behold that Inseong felt a weird warmth blossoming in his chest and spreading towards his entire body.

You must get him out of the water or else he dies!

The unfamiliar voice pierced through his thoughts and he sprang into action. Inseong started to pull the human upwards until their heads finally break the water. The storm was still raging, the waves mixed with the raindrops falling down on them incessantly.

Inseong looked around and spotted a huge outcropping of rocks. He started to pull the human towards it, battling the wind and the water with all his might.

_Inseong! What are you doing?! This is dangerous!_

Juho's voice cut through his mind and he immediately shut it down. He needed to get the human safe before anything else and no one, not even his own brother could stop him.

 _He's safe. Leave him there! head back!_ Juho said when Inseong had managed to get the human on top of the rocks. The winds were still strong and the rain was still pouring but Inseong didn't make a move.

_Inseong!_

_No! I'll wait the storm out. I can't leave him in the middle of the ocean!_  

Lightning flashed over their heads and in that brief second, he clearly saw the human's face once more and he smiled.

Inseong return to the kingdom now! Juho said but at that point, Inseong didn’t really care.

Inseong fell asleep, hidden within the rocks. When he opened his eyes, the storm was subsiding. The guy was still unconscious and he knew he needed to move him to somewhere where his kind will see him. Inseong hoisted himself up on the rocks, sitting beside the man.

He started to hum a tune that his mother ised to sing to him all the while gently running his fingers on the guy's head.

A blaring sound suddenly played from somewhere and Inseong ducked back down to the water and kept to the shadows.

A small ship came into his view, making a lot of noise.

"Look, there's something over there!" he heard one of the humans say while pointing at the rock. Inseong suddenly felt cold. Did they see him?

"Is that him? Dawon! Dawon is that you?!"

D-Dawon? was that the human's name?

"Dawon were coming to get you!"

Inseong carefully dove back into the water and swam as deep as he could. It was light enough now that he can see the outline of the ship coming close to the rocks. It stopped and he waited and watched, not knowing what was happening above. It was over as quickly as it happened with the boat finally moving away. Inseong rose to the surface as carefully as he could and when he was sure that the boat was far out, he went back to the rocks.

The human was no longer there and Inseong didn't know how to feel. For one, he felt happy that the human was finally saved and then he was just sad that he probably won't be able to see him again.

Unless...

He knew it was a bad idea but that didn't stop Inseong from jumping back into the water and swimming as fast as he could in the hopes of catching up with the boat. He didn't know how long he had been swimming but the pain in his tail told him otherwise and he was starting to slow down. Thankfully, when he bobbed his head above the waters, he spotted the boat.

It's an island. It's where the humans live. Don't swim closer, prince or else they'll see you.

It was the voice again. He knew it was the same voice who told him to get the human out of the water during the storm.

"They took him into the island, to their healer. Don't worry, he'll be fine,"

Inseong whipped around at the sound of the voice, his fins glowing a bright orange.

"Woah there, I come in peace."

It was another mermaid, he was sure of it but this one looked different – almost like the humans but with a dark colored tail.

"Who are you?" Inseong asked, staring at the creature.

The mermaid smiled. "My name is Youngbin, at your service, my liege."

"T-the Youngbin?"

Yes, my prince. I know the seas have spun a lot of stories but I can tell you the truth.

He answered in their language and Inseong knew he was telling the truth.

"It's best if we swim back into the deep, though. The humans will be out on sea soon.”

As they made their way deeper in the ocean, Inseong couldn’t help but stare at Youngbin’s appearance. He looked really different from the rest of them and not just because his tail was almost the same color as a squid’s ink but he didn’t have fins and his fingers weren’t webbed and there were no gills behind his ears.

You know, asking me about it is more effective than staring at me. Youngbin said.

Inseong looked forward swiftly but he could hear the smile in Youngbin’s words.

“Yes, I am different. Let’s just say… a lot of things happened that’s why I am the way I am. Oh-“

Inseong didn’t realize that they had already arrived by the barrier and that Juho was waiting for them right in front of it together with some of their best soldiers in full gear.

“Brother! I’m here!”

Juho’s head whipped towards him but the relief suddenly turned into worry as he spotted Youngbin swimming a few meters behind him.

“What are you doing with that witch?” Juho exclaimed just as they reached him.

“What do you mean, Juho? What are you saying? Youngbin? What is my brother saying?” Inseong asked.

Youngbin raised both his hands up in surrender, “I’m afraid your brother is right, prince. I am a witch.” He answered.

Two soldiers suddenly moved towards Youngbin, their spears pointed at his neck.

“Stop this! Youngbin helped me get back here! Stop this instant!” Inseong commanded.

The two soldiers backed off and Youngbin sighed in relief. “Well then, I guess I’ve overstayed my welcome. I’ll see you around, your highnesses,” he said with a bow before swimming away.

When he was gone, Juho turned to face him, the worry in his eyes making Inseong felt guilty. “Please, I don’t know what that thing has done to you but please, promise me that it’ll be the last time you’ll see him!” Juho begged.

Inseong didn’t know what to do and he didn’t trust his own voice to not break so he nodded his head and faked a smile knowing full well that come tomorrow morning, he would be off to find Youngbin’s lair.


	2. Two

It wasn’t easy finding someone who knows where Youngbin is and it’s even harder to find someone who wouldn’t tell any of the guards or his siblings but after swimming high and low in all corners of the kingdom, Inseong managed to find answers from an unlikely source. 

“I do hope you know what you're looking for, prince. Some answers cost a lot,”

Inseong whipped around but there was no one behind him.

“Show yourself!” he commanded. 

Sea foam started to form in front of him and took on the outline of a mermaid. He can feel the figure staring straight at him even though its eyes were tiny white bubbles floating in the water.

“What happened?” Inseong breathed, eyes wide with shock.

“I asked for something and I paid the price. Are you sure you still want to find Youngbin, your highness?”

Dawon’s face swam into the front of his mind and even though he knew that there is a possibility he’ll end up like this figure in front of him, he nodded. “Yes. Where can I find him?”

“Follow me,”

The foam disassembled itself and swirled all around Inseong. He felt as if the foam was pushing him in a certain direction and Inseong just went with it. He swam deeper and deeper and just as they reached the edges of the kingdom, the foam pulled him down and it was only then that Inseong noticed a small circular opening hidden behind corals, wide enough for a fully grown mermaid to swim through. 

“This is as far as I take you. I hope you find a better fortune,” the voice rang in his mind and then, silence.

Inseong swam up to the mouth of the cave, whispering his gratitude to the creature who led him here.

Inseong closed his eyes, his heart beating double time. He looked down at the dark hole, fear and hope mixing inside his chest. He thought of Dawon – thought of being with him, spending time with him and with a burst of strength, he swam all the way down.

 

 

The small, narrow entryway opened up into a huge cavern with bioluminescent shells attached to the ceiling. At the center of the room was a huge brass cauldron filled with a bright, white light that seemed to be stirring itself.

“Inseong, it’s nice to see you again!” Youngbin greeted as he uncurled himself on top of a bed made up of seaweeds.

“Youngbin, it’s nice to see you too,” Inseong replied, barely keeping his attention on the guy. The place was filled with a lot of stuff he had seen the humans use and little shells that glow in all the different colors.  Inseong also noticed the huge, glowing jellyfishes swimming around and two electric eels eyeing him menacingly. 

“Oh, don’t worry about them, they live here. We all live here,” Youngbin said, waving them off. “Come here, there’s something I’d like to show you,”

The guy pulled him closer to the cauldron and urged him to peek. Inseong did so with a doubt and he watched as the light, twisted and turned and suddenly cleared. In the middle of it appeared a four legged creature making quite a noise.

"It's a dog! Isn't it cute?!" Youngbin commented.

He looked up at Youngbin confused but the other urged him to turn back. After a while, a man appeared, a very familiar man and Inseong immediately knew who it was. He grasped the edges of the cauldron and looked more closely with baited breath.

Inseong was glad that Dawon was feeling okay now but now a new desire was forming inside his chest as he watched him walk around the shore.

Suddenly, the light turned murky and the image was gone.

“W-what?! Bring it back! I want to see him!” Inseong demanded but Youngbin shook his head.

“I’m sorry, your highness, the light is fickle and shows only what it wants to show,” he responded.

Inseong looked down at it, hoping that it will show him Dawon again but it continued to stir in all directions, oblivious to his requests.

“I’m surprised you found me.  A lot of people don’t really like talking about it,” Youngbin said.

"It wasn't an easy feat," Inseong replied. 

Youngbin watched him with amused eyes. "You wouldn’t find me just to talk , now tell me, your highness, what is it that you want?" 

“I’ve heard tales about you – stories and I don’t know if they are true but if they are… if there’s any chance that I can-“ Inseong somehow couldn’t bring himself to go on. He knows that what he’s asking for is a lot- impossible even but if there’s even a little chance…

“You want to be human,” Youngbin finished for him. There was no judgment in his voice.

Inseong sighed. “Yes. I want to be human- to have feet and dance and talk to him,”

“What you’re asking for is possible but are you willing to pay the price?” Youngbin asked approaching him in an almost predatory way.

“I will give you everything,” Inseong answered.

Youngbin stared at him for a second and Inseong felt as if he was looking deep into him. Finally, Youngbin nodded and pulled back, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Don't worry. I only need your voice. Nothing more, nothing less." Youngbin replied, swimming around him in circles. 

"But if i give you my voice, how will i be able to talk to him?" Inseong asked. 

"You believe in the power of love, don't you? You believe in that warm, fuzzy feeling inside your chest, the happiness spreading over you whenever you think about him," Youngbin whispered. "You believe, don't you?"

Inseong was silent, the words reverberating inside of him. I believe, right? I believe...

“The final word is up to you, your highness,” Youngbin said, as he moved in front of Inseong. "I'll give you the night to think about it. If you believe in him, if you believe that what you're feeling for him is true, then come find me by the docks just before the sun rises." 

 Inseong didn't know how he got home, but he did. He locked himself inside his chambers and thought long and hard about it the entire night. 

 

 

The swim to the shore felt so long and so tiring that Inseong was out of breath upon reaching it. Youngbin was nowhere in sight and Inseong opted to hide near some rocks while waiting for him.

“I’m glad you came,”

Youngbin was standing on top of the rocks, looking down at him.

“Y-you have no tail!” Inseong exclaimed gesturing at Youngbin’s legs.

“Yep, I don’t. And you won’t have it soon. Now come along, I’ll meet you there,” Youngbin said, pointing towards a small stretch of sand partly hidden from view by the rocks.

“So, are you ready?” Youngbin asked showing him a small glass vial filled with a glowing purple liquid.

“This will turn you human but I warn you, the process will be painful,” Youngbin started. “It won’t be easy moving in this new world, in this new form but I’m sure you’ll do fine,” he said, placing the small vial on Inseong’s palm. Inseong looked down at the thing in his hand, turning it over and over.

"The effect will last for 5 days-," 

"5 days?! 5 days!? What if i want it to last a lifetime?!" 

Youngbin sighed, eyes somber. “There is a way for you to be human forever.. you have to obtain true love’s kiss,”

True love’s kiss, Inseong thought. That would be easy, right?

“Well, there’s still time to turn back, your highness.” Youngbin said, making a grab for the vial.

Inseong pulled his hand away, keeping the vial close to his chest. Youngbin smiled satisfied.

Inseong looked down at the thing in his hand then closed his eyes, sending a silent prayer to the god of the seas. Finally, he removed the shell covering the mouth of the vial and drank it all.

He looked down at himself but his tail still gleamed from under him. He was confused and was about to ask Youngbin about it when it began.

Inseong felt as if sea urchins were being pressed into every inch of his body and he started to burn hot. He screamed, wanting to go back into the deep cool waters but the pain didn’t allow him to move. Inseong started to see white dots and it got bigger and bigger until it consumed everything.

 

 

The shell burned hot in Youngbin’s hand just as Inseong passed out. He placed it in his pocket carefully and approached the naked figure on the shore. Youngbin removed his coat and wrapped it around Inseong before carrying him near the docks.

“Good luck my prince,” Youngbin said, running his hand through Inseong’s hair. “I really do wish that your human would be different than the rest,”

It was starting to get light and life is slowly stirring awake. He can hear the animals calling out to each other, the sounds of vehicles being started. Youngbin took one last look at the sleeping figure on the ground before walking back towards the sea.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Max had been barking non-stop and licking his face awake that Dawon had no choice but to get up and open the door to let the dog out. He went back to bed, thinking that he can get a few more hours of sleep but his dog returned just as quick.

“What do you want? Are you hungry?” The dog jumped on his bed and started to whimper, licking at every inch of exposed skin that he can find.

“I’ll play with you later, Max. Please just let me sleep some more” Dawon groaned, covering himself with the blanket but the dog was smart enough to pull it off of him.

“Okay, okay, you win. Let’s go,” Dawon sighed sitting up on the bed.  Within minutes, he was out the door, the dog running up ahead of him happily.

The house was perched on top of a cliff overlooking the sea, a makeshift stairway leading down to the shore below. Dawon took his time descending the stairs, the cold sea breeze waking him up with every second.

“What is wrong with this dog?” Dawon muttered as Max’s barks grew more and more incessant. He looked to where the dog was and spotted a lump of cloth lying on the sand.

He rushed towards it, heart racing.

 _Please don’t be a dead person. Please don’t be a dead person_ , he thought.

Dawon approached the figure carefully. Its face was turned towards him, wisps of bright, red hair sticking to its forehead.  It was a guy, that much was sure and from what he can see, the guy was naked, wrapped only in the huge, brown coat.

“Hey, are you okay? Are you alive?” Dawon called out, kneeling near the guy. He tried to look for a pulse and let out a relieved sigh when he felt it, faint but somewhat steady.

Dawon shook the guy’s shoulders gently, wishing to all the gods that he would wake. Thankfully, the guy started to stir awake.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked the guy. “What’s your name?”

The guy sat up slow and Dawon was careful to arrange the coat to cover him up.

“Hey man, are you okay?” Dawon repeated. “Hey,”

The guy suddenly stood up, causing the coat to fall to the ground.

"Oh! Dude, what the- " Dawon said, averting his eyes and picking up the discarded piece of clothing. 

“Yah, you should wear this” Dawon said, standing up and handing the coat out to the guy, still looking as far away as possible. 

When the guy didn't make any move to take the coat from him, Dawon took it upon himself to drape the thing over the guy’s shoulders and fastened it with the belt, thanking the heavens that the coat was in such a huge size to cover every little bit. 

"Are you okay? What happened?" Dawon asked for the third time and this time, the guy finally looked at him.

Deep blue eyes stared back at him, making him feel as if he was swimming in the deepest parts of the ocean. Dawon had to look away and release a breath he didn’t know he was holding.

"I-ah," Dawon looked away and shook his head. His heart was beating fast. “What’s your name?” he managed to say.

The guy opened his mouth but no sound came out. He did that, a couple of times. Dawon didn't think much of it, thinking that the guy must have been in a state of shock. 

 "Let's get you somewhere safe for now, okay?" he said. "I have a friend that could help," 

With that, Dawon walked back towards the house. He looked behind to see if the stranger was following him but the guy remained rooted in the same spot, looking at the ground.

"Hey, come on!” Dawon called loudly but the guy didn’t even spare him a glance. Slightly annoyed, he approached the guy and grabbed his arm, gently steering him towards the house.  

 +++

"I need help! ASAP!" Dawon screamed into the phone as he tried to wrestle out the fork from the guy.  He can hear Jaeyoon saying something from the other end of the line but he was too distracted to make sense of the words.

"Just come here! and fast!" Dawon said making a successful grab of the cutlery.

The guy pouted at him but his eyes immediately darted around, looking at everything with some sort of wonder.

"What's wrong with you? It's like it's your first time seeing all these," Dawon muttered. The guy stood up but Dawon held on to his hand and pulled him back down. 

"Can you please just stay still for a minute?!" he pleaded.

The guy nodded and pointed to the fork he was holding. "I'll give it back if you promise not to do anything weird with it," 

Another nod and Dawon held out the cutlery with hesitation. The guy raised the fork at eye level, inspecting it closely before running it through his hair like a comb. 

Dawon sighed and shook his head. "Whatever man," he said exasperated

A few minutes later, he heard the sound of wheels backing onto the driveway. Jaeyoon appeared in the doorway moments later.

"Really, Dawon? This early in the mor-"

Jaeyoon’s eyes widened in shock as his eyes settled on the stranger inside the room.

"Do you know each other?" Dawon asked looking at Jaeyoon and then at the guy who was still busy combing his hair with the fork.

Jaeyoon stalked forwards as if in a trance and Dawon was half expecting him to hug the guy but Jaeyoon didn’t. He stopped right in front of Dawon and laid a hand on his head. And then, everything turned black.

 ++++

"Inseong? Please tell me it’s not what I think it is?” Jaeyoon said as he hauled Dawon’s unconscious form onto the couch.

The guy looked at him blankly, a sad smile painting his lips.

_Talk to me, Inseong._

The guy turned to him, eyes wide with shock.

 _H-how are you doing this?_ Inseong asked.

 _Wind sprite, remember_? Jaeyoon replied. _Where do you think I get all the stories I tell you?_

_Anyway, that doesn’t matter. How many days did he give you?_

_Five_

Jaeyoon sighed, "Well then, I guess we have our work cut out for us," he said, voice as bleak as how Inseong felt.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!
> 
> If you wanna talk about this you can reach me on the following:  
> twitter @kaydawonie  
> curiouscat https://curiouscat.me/zurenika


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